Valve



NOV. 10, 1936. B wHlTTLE 2,060,388

VALVE File d Aug. 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2.

/e a 4: f

6 @w/ENTOR.

' BY I B. B. WHITTLE Nov. 10, 1936.

VALVE Filed Aug. 12, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig- 1'.

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 10, 1936 PATENT OFFICE VALVE Benjamin B. Whittle,

Oklahoma City, Okla;

Leslie F. Whittle executrix of will of said Benjamin B. Whittle, deceased Application August 12, 1933, Serial No. 684,803

4 Claims.

My invention relates to valves and more particularly to valves of the cock" type for regulating the flow of fluids through a pipe, usually consisting of a tapered conical plug or core having therethrough a transverse hole or port, and working in a metal shell or housing which is bored out to receive the core, the shell being provided with passages to connect to pipes at either side; Rotation of the core controls the passage of fluids through the shell by bringing the opening in the plug opposite the passages in the shell, or away from them. A stem or spindle connected in axial alinement with the core and projecting from the housing is the usual means by which the core is rotated.-

The present invention is an improvement over my copending application of similar title, filed June 26, 1933, under Serial No. 677,595.

At the present time much trouble, inconvenience, loss of time, and at times loss of property is occasioned by the fact that when usual stop cocks of the type described are used upon high pressure fluid conveying lines the pressure causes the core to wedge or stick in the housing.

It is the prime object of the present invention to provide a valve of this type which will insure the easy and proper operation of the core when the valve is installed upon high pressure fluid conveying lines.

' Other objects of the invention are to provide a device of this class which is new, novel, practical and of utility; which will permit the longitudinal adjustment of the core in the housing thus normally insuring against the core becoming stuck or frozen in the housing; which will include an externally operated means for releasing with ease the core if, through improper adjustment, it is permitted to become stuck; which will be simple in construction and comparatively cheap to manufacture; which will be durable; and, which will be eificient in accomplishing all the purposes for which it is intended.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear, my invention consists in the construction, novel features, and combination of parts hereinafter. more fully described, pointed out in the claims hereto appended, and illustrated in the accompanying 3-sheet drawing, of which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical view of the device, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a. vertical sectional view of the housing taken at a ninety degree angle from the position shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a top view;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the device taken from a point in alinement with its flow-hole;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the valve core;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the same;

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, shape, weight and other details of construction, within the scope of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or broad principle of my invention and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof; and it is also understood that the drawings are to be interpreted as being illustrative and not restrictive.

One practical embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the drawings comprises a valve housing I having a transverse bore or flow-hole 2 threaded at each end for installation in a flow line. Avertical slightly tapered bore 3 forming a core chamber intercepts the bore 2, has its upper open end abruptly enlarged as shown at t to form an annular shoulder 5, and has its lower closed end enlarged slightly to form an oil chamber 6 (Figs. 1 and 2). A similarly tapered core 7 having a transverse through port 9 and axially alined upstanding valve-stem I0 is provided within the chamber 3 and is adapted through selective rotation to make or break communication between the opposite end portions of the flow-hole 2, the stem acting as a means external of the housing for imparting rotation to the core. The length of the core is such that it does not project into the oil chamber 6.

As may best be seen in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the upper portion of the core I is provided with four radially spaced, downwardly extending, superficial grooves H which are spaced at ninety degrees from each other. The lower portion of the core is provided with four similar upwardly extending grooves l2 which are similarly spaced. The oflice of the grooves II and 12 will be more fully described hereinbelow.

As may best be seen in Figs. 2 and-3, the surface of the inner wall of the bore 3 is provided with two pairs of superficial grooves I3 each groove of each pair occurring at opposite sides of the bore 2 and each having its ends turned toward but not communicating with the similar ends of the other groove. Between the opposite pairs of the grooves I3 is provided a cavity I! for receiving a deposit of extraneous substance in the fluid which might adhere to the exterior of the core 7.

The upper portion of the housing is provided with an oil receiving superficial bore or oil chamber I4 (Fig. 2) the upper portion of which is threaded to receive a check valve Ii for permitting the introduction but preventing the egress oi a lubricant. A passage l6 communicates between the bores 3 and I4 and its inner end enters the bore 3 at a point to intercept the upper portions of the grooves II in the core as the core is rotated. The grooves II are sufiicient in length to communicate between the enlarged portion 4 of the bore 3 and the upper portions of the grooves IS in the housing wall, and the grooves I2 are long enough to form a communication between the lower portions oi. the grooves l3 and the oil chamber 6.

Consequently. if the core I is placed in the bore 2 and the upper portion of the enlarged part 4 of the bore is closed, and a lubricant introduced into the chamber M, the lubricant will flow through the passage i6, enlarged portion 4 of the bore 3, grooves ll, l3, and i2 into the oil chamber 6 when the core is in a radial position causing the port 9 to be out of communication between the two end portions of the flowhole 2. On the other hand, as the core is rotated toward an open position the grooves H will be drawn out of communication with the grooves l3 at the time the ends of the port 9 in the core passes over the grooves l3. Consequently, the force of a fluid flowing through the port 9 and the flow-hole 2 will be prevented from dissipating the oil in the upper and lower portions of the housing.

The above described oiling system is similar substantially to the oiling system disclosed and.

claimed per se in my hereinabove mentioned copending patent application and is not in itself thought to be invention over that structure, but is thought to be invention when considered in connection with the following described atmoture which is thought to be in itself invention.

As a means for closing the upper portion of the housing the following described structure is provided.

An annular gasket I8 is provided upon the shoulder 5 around the bore 3, and resting thereupon is an axially bored valve-cap l9 held in place by a plurality of stud-bolts 2D. The bore 2| of the cap is somewhat greater in diameter than the diameter of the stem i0 and therefore an annular space is formed between the stem and the cap. Within the space is a metal ring 22 resting upon the upper surface of the core 1. The upper surface of the ring is formed with an annular groove 23 which is preferably arcuate transversely and which seats a resilient or fibrous packing element 24, (Fig. 1). Within said space and upon the packing element 24 is an annular ball race 25 having an annular groove 26 in both its upper and lower face. The lower groove 26 contacts and confines the packing element while the upper one acts as a race for bearing balls 21.

The upper portion of the bore 2! is threaded to receive a jamb-nut 2B which is adapted to bear upon the balls 21. The jamb-nutisofcoursecentrally bored as illustrated at 29 so that it may pass downwardly over the stem l0 and the bore is sufiiciently large to permit rotation of the nut without contact with the stem. The upper portion of the bore 29 is enlarged to form an annular space 30 around the stem in. A threaded portion SI of the stem l0 lies within the space 30. The bottom of the space 30 acts as a ball race for another plurality of smaller bearingballs 32 which are held in place by an annular ball race 23 and a second lamb-nut 34 which engages the threaded portion 3| of the stem I0.

In installing the cap and its assembly the gasket l8 and cap I9 are first put in place and the bolts 20 tightened. The ring 22, packing element 24, race member 25 and balls 21 are put in place in the order named and the lamb-nut 28 is tightened down. The balls 32 and race 33 are then put in place and the jamb-nut 34 tightened down. It may be seen that proper adjustment of the lamb-nuts 28 and 34 will govern the positioning longitudinally of the core 1 in the bore 3, and that in case the packing element 22 became compressed by the fluid pressure sufiicient- 1y to permit the core to become stuck in the bore. rotation of the jamb-nut 28 would raise it sufficiently to permit its easy operation. It may also be seen that compression may at all times be kept upon the packing element 24 without forcing the core into too violent contact with the bore 3; also, that the core is held against vertical movement with relation to the housing in a direction either up or down and at the same time may be easily rotated due to action of the balls 21 and 32.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described herein, and applicable, for uses and purposes other than as detailed, and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations and other uses of the form of the device herein described as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a valve, the combination with a housing having a flow hole, and a core mounted in the housing and adapted upon its movement to open and close the fiow hole, said core having an actuating stem, of a cap for the housing surrounding the stem, a packing seating ring around the stem, a packing element upon the ring, a race member upon the element, ballsupon the race member, a jamb-nut engaged by the cap and compressible upon the balls, said nut having a bore surrounding the stem the outer portion of which is considerably greater in diameter than the diameter of the stem, balls around the stem and upon the lower portion of the nut, and a second jamb-nut engaged by the stem and compressible upon the last mentioned balls.

2. In a valve, the combination of a housing, a core fitted to turn therein, the housing and core having flow holes therethrough, the core having a stem, a cap secured to the housing and having a bore surrounding the stem, but of sufficient internal diameter to allow an annular space between the core stem and the bore of the cap, two jamb-nuts, one screwed to threads in the bore of the cap and the other jamb-nut screwed to threads on the stem, packing located in the space between the bore of the cap and the stem, ballbearings between the packing and one of the jamb-nuts, and ball-bearings between the two jamb-nuts.

3. In a valve, the combination of a housing having a core seat formed therein, a core fitted to the core seat in the housing and capable of being turned therein, the housing and core having fiow holes therethrough, the core having an integral stem, a cap secured to the housing and. surrounding a portion at least of the stem and of sufiicient internal diameter to form an annular space between it and the stem, a portion at least of the stem and bore of the cap having screw-threads, two jamb-nuts, one threaded to screw into the threads in the bore of the cap and the other jamb-nut on the threads of the stem, the bore of one jamb-nut being of two diameters, ball-bearings above and below the portion of this lamb-nut having the smaller diameter, the jamb-nut which is screwed to the stem being located within the bore of the other lamb-nut having the greater diameter and a packing located in the annular space between the stem of the valve and the bore of the cap and between the housing and the ball bearings.

4. In a valve, the combination of a; housing having a core seat therein and provided with a flow hole therethrough,acore rotatably fitted to the seat and having a flow hole therethrough, the

20 core having a stem, a cap removabiy secured to the housing and having a bore concentric with the stem and of sufllciently greater diameter to allow an annular intervening space therebetween, a portion at least of the bore of the cap being screw-threaded. a seating ring in the lower end of the annular space between the stem and bore of the cap, a packing element resting on the seating ring, a'jamb-nut screwed in the threads or the bore, ball-bearings between the lamb-nut and the packing; a'portion of the bore of the lamb-nut being appreciably greater in diameter than the diameter of the stem so that an' annular space intervenes between the two, ball-bearings located within said annular space and resting upon a portion of the lamb-nut, and a lamb-nut screwed upon the threads of the stem for retaining the bail-bearing between it and the firstmentioned lamb-nut.

BENJAMIN B. WHITI'LE. 

